Journey, Not A Destination

[maleficent]

wow he's been in business almost a whole year

- James Wiser Established Wiser Fitness in 2007

- A Mobile Training Service providing only the best personalized care

- Member of the American College of Sports Medicine

betcha mommy and daddy bought him the car for a graduation present

CPR is such a tough cert to get... really really hard.. i mean they don't just give that out to everyone - oh wait - they do - they gave one to me

 

[maleficent]

Curiosity has the better of me... Because I think Gordy's college major was similar... (and I'd never say anything bad about Gordy cuz he's cute and stuff

What does an exercise physiology major entail?

Is that what people who want to be phy ed instructors when they grow up major in? What type of coursework is involved? Is it more medical - anatomy and physiology type of stuff - nutrition?

I'm not sure it matters entirely - as a person probably learns more in the real world than they do in the classroom... but...

 

[Steve]

wow he's been in business almost a whole year



betcha mommy and daddy bought him the car for a graduation present

CPR is such a tough cert to get... really really hard.. i mean they don't just give that out to everyone - oh wait - they do - they gave one to me

Yea, he just started.

He claimed he has a full book of business... on and on about how it just makes so much sense to bring the gym to the client in their home.

He was trying a fucking Element though. I know damn well there wasn't a barbell in there. My guess: A ball, some bands, and pink dumbbells.

I mean I've trained people out of their homes before but in each case it was a matter of the client not being ready for more 'advanced' stuff.

 

[maleficent]

the name of his business is pretty good though- perfect last name to play off of...

Wiser meaning - smarter

though i'm guessing from poking his website - you'd be wiser going elsewhere

 

[maleficent]

His exercise of the month is a tough one for the balance challenged like me..

Coaching Key: Try to keep your balance while lifting your opposite foot off the ground. Keep your back flat and your hips and shoulders parallel to the ground. Maintain a straight line from your ear through your ankle. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings

However the picture the form on the model he's coaching isn't right - at least he should have her with the straight line - from ear to ankle

 

[Steve]

Curiosity has the better of me... Because I think Gordy's college major was similar... (and I'd never say anything bad about Gordy cuz he's cute and stuff

What does an exercise physiology major entail?

Is that what people who want to be phy ed instructors when they grow up major in?

No.

It's actually a tough degree to be honest. Most schools actually have a physical education program which is too, harder than you'd think.

But ex phys entails all your basic sciences of the body and how they apply to the body in the context of exercise. Thinks like kines, anat, biomechanics, biology, nutrition, etc.

It's very in depth... at least what I've seen from the school I attended. My school was well known for ex phys so so maybe other schools aren't as rigorous. But I doubt it. If you are into fitness and are stupid, you usually pick something like sports management.

If you are into fitness and are lazy, you usually pick physical education.

If you are into fitness and are serious, you usually pick something like ex phys or atheletic training/physical therapy stuff.

What type of coursework is involved? Is it more medical - anatomy and physiology type of stuff - nutrition?

All the above.

 

[Steve]

His exercise of the month is a tough one for the balance challenged like me..


However the picture the form on the model he's coaching isn't right - at least he should have her with the straight line - from ear to ankle

Hahaha, I just noticed that.

Hey, if he's making money and getting people active and not hurting them... all the more to him. I'd love to have a serious discussion with him but then again... no I wouldn't. I had those with idiot trainers before and they aren't fun.

 

[maleficent]

back in my day, Springfield college in Springfield Mass had a top notch phy ed program - one of the best I believe... and I know at least oneperson who went there -and I know it wasn't easy...

 

[maleficent]

The tools portion of his website he does have bowflex dumbbells -so they're not all pink and he does have a foam roller and a bosu ball

 

[Steve]

Yea, ESU had a pretty intense phys ed program. I know a few people who entered it simply b/c it 'seemed like a cool, easy job which is probably the same for the major.'

Yea, they didn't last long.

 

[Steve]

The tools portion of his website he does have bowflex dumbbells -so they're not all pink and he does have a foam roller and a bosu ball

That impresses me somewhat.

Not really.

It just moves him up the rank from monkey trainer who drools to monkey trainer who can use deductive reasoning.

 

[maleficent]

I will give him credit for the fact that he's not attempting to branch out into online training (not that there's anythig wrong with that ... and he's focusing primarily on in person training...

However, I thik he's being "wise" in getting his feet wet with real people in real situations before trying to go to virtual people in virtual situations where you don't have enough real world experience to try to guess what they are doing right or wrong.

(or I could have missed the online portion of hsi trrainig program and i thereby retract all i say)

 

[maleficent]

some of the other images on the website bother me - he's got a girl doing something on a fitness ball that her head is in the wrong postion -it's down and it's putting too much strain on her neck.. and he's got someone else doing a yoga flexibility move that's also got bad form... If you're going to post real world pictures and not use stock photography - proper form is really critical - or i'm just a picky pain in the butt.

 

[Steve]

No, he isn't from what he told me. Though I told him about my site and he said he never heard of online training. So I'm sure his wheels are spinning now.

Online training is a funny animal.

For me, it was a natural progression. I was training in gyms since college. I was working with people in 'special circumstances' in their homes. And I realized that the 1-3 hours per week in front of the person just didn't cut it. So I started a free yahoo group and a lot of people joined. To boot, I started continual email support for my clients.

Concurrently, I made a 'somewhat' big name for myself on a lot of the weight loss forums.

It just made sense and it was working.

Now we've got a healthy dose of online clients and our website isn't even open yet.

All the while, I'm torn though. And this might be what my last question for Lyle has to deal with. Online training gets a bad wrap b/c it doesn't include the hands on component. Sure, you can use video feedback if necessary and use various spectrums and metrics to gauge which direction a program should go, but it will never be as good as in person training.

And that bothers me.

However, what is the alternative? I know I've reached people via online training who would otherwise never had access to a good trainer. They either wouldn't go to the gym or the gym in their area is useless in terms of training staff. So it's a give and a take that I wrestle with quite often.

The way I look at it right now is, if my clients are happy and they are getting the results they're after... than that's all that really matters at the end of the day.

I'm very interested to see the progression though.

 

[maleficent]

I dont think online training is a bad thing - however, there are a plethora of online trainers (and Im not saying this to kiss your ass or stroke your ego) are not in the same league as you are... You've got enough experience to understand where people are coming from and know how to ask the right questions to get to the answers...

too many online t rainers use canned packages and say do this do this do this and if you can't you aren't working hard enough - they don't give people the right tools to make sure form is correct and that they are working within their limitations while also progressing forward.

It's not a skill many people have...

 

[Steve]

Yea, I appreciate that. I have faith that I can be a great online trainer. I believe I am a great trainer in general.

However, that doesn't give me the confidence (100%) to say I truly believe in online training. Which is a bold statement considering it's something that I am bringing more mainstream soon, as you know.

It's not about me being uncertain in my ability to reach people and lead them the right way. It stems from the understanding that even the best online training isn't ever as good as in person training with a qualified trainer.

But when I go down that road, most days I have the ability to deduce that you get what you pay for. Online training is a fraction of the cost. In addition, and more importantly in my mind is, what's the alternative? If I didn't give these people access to me, where would they turn? When I focus on that, I feel it's unfair not to offer the service via online.

Other days though is a moral struggle. I'm sure I'll get comfortable with it. Gordy is definitely comfortable with it now.

When I first started onine training, and this was obviously a losing proposition financially speaking, I wouldn't charge for my time on the Internet, lol. I would only charge the person for my time in person. And in numerous cases the people I was dealing with online lived a 2-3 hours from me. So I would spend a lot of time prepping the person online physically and psychologically. Then have 2-3 sessions with them in home to make sure they were on the right foot. If I could determine an hourly rate for myself that is on the high side even, I was losing out.

But I enjoyed it.

So coming from that background, it's easy to see why I wrestle around with the morality of it all. I just need to keep my financial well being in mind too.

 

[edco76]

Semi on subject. Ross wrote a bit about "internet gurus" in his blog this week. Article is under the Jack Lalanne clips. Thought you enjoy since I read it right after reading this convo.

 

[Trevor M.]

Howdy Steve,

Wow. You got a new house? Thats cool, Man. Although, I can't imagine how nerve racking buying a house is.

You're looking to buy a truck? Have you seen the price of gas recently?

Anyway, I did a lot or research on trucks a while back when I wanted one really bad. And from my research, the best large truck is the Toyota Tundra.
I get the feeling you like acceleration so I'll just mention that the two door, top of the line V8 does 0-60 in 5.8.-6.1 seconds....And thats everything stock...

If you are going midsize I would go with either a Toyota Tacoma or a Nissan Frontier.
The Frontier has the better of the two V6's, in my opinion.
That frontier has got "sports car, neck snapping" acceleration from what I've read.

Best fuel economy(MPG's) truck is the Ford Ranger 4cilinder. BTW, the 4-liter v6 is the same engine as that in the v6 mustang.

 

[Steve]

Semi on subject. Ross wrote a bit about "internet gurus" in his blog this week. Article is under the Jack Lalanne clips. Thought you enjoy since I read it right after reading this convo.

Yea, I liked that read, Ed. Ross's blog is on my reel of ones I read each week. Thanks.

 

[Steve]

Howdy Steve,

Wow. You got a new house? Thats cool, Man. Although, I can't imagine how nerve racking buying a house is.

Yup, it's been a stressful month to say the least. However, the agreements are all signed so now it's just a matter of the home passing certain inspections. It should be a relatively smooth ride from here on out.

Thanks man.

You're looking to buy a truck? Have you seen the price of gas recently?

Gas doens't matter much when you don't drive a whole heck of a lot. In addition, the rebates they're giving on full size pick ups far outweigh the increase in the cost of gas.

When they're giving 15-20k off the trucks, gas doesn't really matter, lol.

Anyway, I did a lot or research on trucks a while back when I wanted one really bad. And from my research, the best large truck is the Toyota Tundra.
I get the feeling you like acceleration so I'll just mention that the two door, top of the line V8 does 0-60 in 5.8.-6.1 seconds....And thats everything stock...

If you are going midsize I would go with either a Toyota Tacoma or a Nissan Frontier.
The Frontier has the better of the two V6's, in my opinion.
That frontier has got "sports car, neck snapping" acceleration from what I've read.

Best fuel economy(MPG's) truck is the Ford Ranger 4cilinder. BTW, the 4-liter v6 is the same engine as that in the v6 mustang.

The Tundra's are real nice. I actually like the looks of the Dodge Ram better though. The Quad Cab at least. In addition, Tundras are way over-priced. I agree, beautiful truck. Just not shelling out that sort of money right now. I'm looking to cut my monthly payments since my bills are going to sky rocket once I get this house.

So yesterday I actually did go out and buy a new truck. It was very, very hard to let go of my car. Shit, I could've shed a tear... I loved that thing.

But the truck is very nice. I'm more than impressed. It's the Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab Big Horn with the 5.7 L hemi engine. It's got some balls. Plus it's practical as all hell relative to that sports car I had.